1999 Chevrolet Corvette - Oo-Rah!

In Reginald Baker's case, it meant adding artwork that pays homage to the United States Marine Corps, for what it did for him, during and after his eight years on active duty.

Baker's story with his '99 convertible starts in 2006. "I [bought] it as a gift to myself and for the wife," he says. "I started to do some things with it, and once I put the Marine Corps emblem on the front, out of the love for the Corps, it just expanded from that point on."

When he showed the car, he got good reviews from fellow Vette lovers--and fellow Marines. "As I started to go around to shows, I started to see the reaction from older and younger Marines," Baker says. "The reactions were so great that I started showing it for the recruitment offices up here in Maryland. As my ideas started getting a little larger, I started to put them on the car. I tried to do it in a respectful manner, in regards to the war efforts and everything."

"I'm a police officer here in Maryland, and I do the escorts for the Blue Angels when they come to town," says Baker. "I always talk to the sole Marine Corps pilot that flies for the Navy [in the Angels], and I wanted to put his jet on there. My aspiration was to do something that only counts for Marines. As I got talking to Josh, he asked me how I felt about the Bell/Boeing MV-22 Osprey, which is designated only for the Marines. We went through the ideas and put the mural together, and I think it came out wonderful."

Another idea that went on the mural: A Marine in his Dress Blues, intended to represent the Americans who step forward for their country when they join the Corps--but not any one Marine in particular. "I was real specific about where the medals, rank insignia, and everything go," Baker says. "Josh asked me to send him a picture of a Marine, and I sent him my picture, in my Blues. I didn't know that he was going to put my actual picture on the car! He said, 'I put a Marine on there--I did what you asked, and I hope that you like it.' I said, 'OK, not a problem. I trust you.'"

Also garnering rave reviews are the other mods to the drop-top C5, which include ACP wide-body rear quarters, Lamborghini-style "scissor doors," SLP's "Loud Mouth" exhaust system, carbon-fiber-look trim by American Hydrocarbon, and a set of fenderwell-filling Forgiato Vizzio billet wheels wearing Nittos in front, and Pirellis in back.

Are you inspired by this C5? Baker says if you're planning to upgrade a Corvette of your own, don't rush the project. (He didn't rush this one: What you see here took about five years to do). "Take your time and choose the things that you want on your Vette to go along with your personality, and have it mean something," he says. "Buy quality, and it will definitely make a change in your Corvette and how you present it. The year of the car doesn't really matter--it's how you put it together."

How Baker put his '99 Corvette together is not only a tribute to him and to America's Only True Sports car, but to all United States Marines--especially those whose sacrifice is symbolized by the car's sanguineous color.